Improvement in springs for piston packing



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Letters Patent N 106,495, dated August 16, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT'IN SPRINGS FOR PISTON PACKING.

The Schedulereien'ed to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same,

T o all whom Lundy concern: Y

Be it'known that I, DAVID MAYDOLE, of Norwich, in the county of Ghenango and in the State of New York,.have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Springs for Piston Packing; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accom panying drawing makinga part of this speciiication, in whichl Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a cylinder and piston showing my improved springs in place 5 Y I Figure 2 is au end elevation of said piston with portions of the follower removed, so as to show the ar rangement of thesprings; and

Figures 3, 4, 5, (i, and 7 are like views of a piston with the follower removed, each showing a modification of my invention. y Y

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures,

My invention is an improvement in springs for imparting to piston packing-rings an elastic outward pressure; andV It consists in a series of open springs, bavingasemieircular or other eqnivalenttbrm, arranged aroundl the interiurot the rings in such a'rnanner as that their latl 'al pressure against each other produces a Vuniform outward Vpressure upon said rings, independ ent of the piston, as is hereinafter set forth.

Iii packing-springs, as heretofore constructed, eachV spring had a bearing upon bot-h piston and packingrings, and itstension and outward pressure was adjusted -by means o f wedges, screws, or other equiva- -lent devices, the result of which has been that, as

said springs did not exert an equal pressure upon said rings,the latter were caused to bear with unequal force upon the cylinder, and thereby cause an unequal wear of both rings and cylinder. y

Another diiiiculty has arisen from the want of a sutiicient degree of elasticity in the rings, to enable them to conform to any irregularities of the bore of the cylinder, and to cause them to exert the required `amount of pressure upon the rings .without frequent adjustment, all of which my invention is designed to obviate.

As seen in the drawing, my springs, A,are formed kof plates'of steel, having their ends curved inward,

so that, when arranged around the interior of the packing-rings, wit-h the ends of each bearing against those of the next adjoining springs, any outward pressure exerted' by one of said springs will be communicated to the others, causing the entire circle to expand equally, and exert a uniform outward pressure upon each portion ofthe circumference of the in- ,teriorof said paokingrings.

The portion of each spring, immediately adjoining the packing-rings, should conform to the shape of the same, but the ends of said springs may have any desired form or curve, so long -as they conform to each other and furnish for each a uniform bearing,\vl1ether the springs are compressed or expanded to their natural shape; or, if desired, cylinders of metal or other material, C, may be interposed between saidsprings, so as to lessen their number, but, as in either case, their operation would be the same, such changes would be modifications only of my invention.

As tbc outward pressure of the springs Ais en-V tirely independent of any other bearing than that had upon each other, they should not touch the center or spider ofthe piston, 1),`n vertical engines, themselves and the packing-rings remaining free to move laterally, as any want of perfect alignment of tne engine might require; butin horizontal engines it is deemed best to insert a block of metal, E, between the bottom springs, for the support of said pis-` ton, as, otherwise, its weight would cause it to sag dowmvard, so as to wear the rod F or cylinder G.

In .adjusting the springs to a piston, the required degree of pressure may be usually obtained by slightly increasing or diminishing the curve 'of one or more, but when such change is impractieable, or when, after use, it is desired to lincrease the pressure of said springs, strips of sheet metal may be inserted between their-ends. y, The especial advantages possessed by these springs are: 4

First, as they exert an equal outward pressure upon each part of the packing-rings, the wear of said rings and ofthe cylinder is rendered uniform, their durability largely increased, and litt-le liability exists to the cutting oftheir bearing-surfaces.

Second, by reason of the uniform outward pressure upon each portion ofthe packing-rings, less expansive force is required to keep the latter tight, and, consequently, said rings are enabled to conform more. easily to any' variationsin the size of the interior of the cylinder.

v Third, as the springs are easily made, and require no especial adjusting or expanding devices, their cost is less than one-fourth that of ordinary springs.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, v

A series of open springs, having substantially the form shown and described, and arranged ,wit-hin the interior of pist-oli packingi'ings, so that the lateral and outward pressure of each spring against the others, or against suitable interposing blocks, shall produce a uniform outward pressure. upon said rings entirely independent of or from the piston spider, or other vcentral support, substantially as shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the-foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of J une, 1870.

DAVID MAYDOLE.

l Witnesses:

Grao.` S. PRINDLE, EDM. BROWN. 

